Method of and apparatus for detecting the presence of profitable deposits in the earth



* k A" ,1;5 WSSREFERENCE- i .SEARCH-Rom@ MBI'EOD DP' AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE. l f i or' Hammam nsr'osrrs vm 'ma man:

Filed Dec. s, 1929 i Patented Feb. 2,

Unirse s'ra'rlas "Larsen j .I Q

.saveur Gerlos- GNTHER LA'UBHEYEB, DF KASSEL-m3530253, GEBHABY HETHOD OF AND AIPARATUB F03 DETECTING THE PEESNCE 0F PBOFITABLE DE PGSITS IN THE EARTH applicano mea December amiante, serial n. 411,275. ma ai Germany August 1, 1929. 'i

The object of my invention is a method of detecting profitable deposits in the earth and an apparatus for carrying ont this method.

During the last ten or fifteen years methods 5 of practical geophysics are applied ina continuallv improving manner for detecting proitahle deposits.

The method of my invention essentially diers from the geophysical methods hitherto known. While the familiar methods as the seismic, the geoelectric, the magnetic, and the grevimetric ones only allow to give en idea of the subterranean structure by the dierences of physical constants of the obstructive bodies, or by the differences of the dif- Y ferent geological strata (geological conditions naturally being of great lnluence as regards the finding of the final result) my new method directly detects the deposits.

This new method is, therefore, much less dependent upon possibilities of obstruction which eventually may lead to entirely false results. The method according to myfinvention consists in collecting underground-air by means of a special apparatus and in testing it quantitatively as to the existence of certain gaseous substances which are in direct relation with the deposits. The apparatus used for working the method is constructed with the urpose of not giving any possibility of interchange with the open nir to the undergroundair which has been collected by certain parts of the apparatus. The apparatus is preferably constructed as a closure or lid lfor borings, the lid having besides an outlet pipe at least one bell-shaped cylinder or the l like surrounding the outlet pipe; the diameter of this cylinder is larger than that of the borin hole. A particularly preferred conticable contains two cylinders arranged one concentric to the other which are connected with an outlet pipe and which close the boring hole tightly. l

the aforesaid invention is of example.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of the manner of working the apparatus and turning the results into practice.

illustrated by way struction which has been `found very preo-Y n the drawings an apparatus according Fig. 2 shows a. sectional view.

Fig. 3 is plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 illustrates the apparatus ready for application.

Fien' 5 shows an apparatus in serted into the earth. Y v

In Fig. l A indicates a stretch orlayer of valuable deposits. The deposit may he as sumed to be a coal containing a great per centage of gas. There will he boring holes made, for instance at the points l to l2 into which the apparatus for collectio underground-air duly to be described will be in.- serted in such manner that the undergroundair collected by it and the 'gaseous substances slowly di'using upwards which are contained in the underground-air and which slowly make their way 'through the covering strata cannot find an outlet into the open au'. The collecting devi oes-which may be termed gesometers on account or' their bell-sha ed cylinders serving for the collection of un erground-air--are left at their places for about 24.- to 4:8 hours after being inserted. The required time having expired small quantities of air are taken from these devices and are examined as to their contents of methen produced by the coal-deposit nearby. The pro portional values obtained will then be registered according to a pattern like Fig. 1.

curve like curve C will for instance he the result. Above the deposits-eventually more or less shifted by tectonic conditions-a maximum or concentration of those gaseous substances which come into consideration with regard to the depositswill he found. FromV this concentration-curve or from several of them which eventually may have been caused by tests in different directions crossing-each other, one may draw conclusions regarding the position, extension, and the approxnnate depth 4or the deposits in the earth. i

It may be remarked that in testing the gaseous substances emanating from the deposits chiely those come into question the molecular weight of which does not.. at least l not essentially, differ from that of the air.

The apparatus is equally appropriate for searching gus and 011 deposits. .As the part of the apparatus in l section in@v y loo l in the boringhole 1C' and in space l1 be as long d posits in the earth comprising a closure for breadth and height of the measured maximum in the concentration curve allows certain conclusions regarding depth and extension of the deposits this procedure giving the direct rove of the existence or non-existence of a esired deposit. is superior to any other indirect geophysical methods.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 2-5 for collecting underground-air consists o two chief parts. IThe one chief part may 'ne called earth-lange. It contains two hollow cylinders, 1 and 2. concentric to each other which arc connected by a ring-like ange 3. The second chief part of the apparatusrconsists of a lid 4. and a gas or outlet pipe 5, the latter being provided with a tap 6. Both the cylin ders 1 and 2 may be made integral, for practical reasons, with ring-ilange 3. These three parts may, however-,be rmly connected with each other. Lid 4 and gas pipe 5 are also preferably firmly connected together. In assembling;r the apparatus a tighteningmlate 7 made, for instan. of india rubber is placed between the ear" flange and lid 4. The two chief parts and the tightening plate are kept together by screws 8 and thumb-nuts 9.

If the apparatus is to be used for extracting underground-sir a boring hole 10 of about eight centimeters diameter and one to two meters depth is Erst of all bored with an earth borer (Fig. 5). Then the earth-flange 1, 2, 3 is driven into the earth concentric to the boring hole i. e. so far that-as Fig. 5 shows-the upper rim or' the earth-dentro will be about 2 to 3 centimeters above theground. rlhen the tightening plate will be put on and the gas pipe is introduced into the boring hole whereupon the two chief parts of the apparatus are tightly screwed together by Screws 8 and nuts 9. The arts must be so firmly united that the underground-'tir enclosed in the boring hole and in space 11 cannot escape without having to overcome a great resistance. Space 1l is limited above by the lid, below partly by the surface ci the earth and partly y the boring hole, and at the sides by the walls of cylinder 2.

It is essential for the construction of the apparatus that the path to the outer air (an vice versa) for the underground-air included as possible. This path of escape is denote by dash and dotted lines in Fig. 5. It runs first of all downwards along the inside walL ing of cylinder '2, then upwards along its outside through 'be space included between cylinders 2 and 1, then downwards along the inner walling of cylinder 1, and finally upwards along this walling to the outer au'.

This path of escape is in the illustrated and descrlbed apparatus with the two cylinders 1 and 2 so large that an exchange between the included underground-air and the open air does not take place. When, therefore, at opening tap 6 after about 24 or 48 hours a 'against the outer air. drawing cti a part of small quantity of the underground-air is taken this quantity contains all the substances of im partance for the examination.

It seems possible to construct the apparatus only with one hollow cylinder. The condi: tion is only that this cylinder surrounds the outlet pipe bell-shape like and that its diameter be larger thun that of the boring hole. In this case, however, the path of escape might rove too unsafe in practice, even if rather a. ong cylinder is used, so that probably an exchange between the underground-air collected in the apparatus and the outer air might occur. Therefore the described form with two hollow cylinders concentrically arranged is preferable because of the longer path of escape. The apparatus might also be provided with more than two hollow cylinders lying concentrically to each other, as hereby the path of esca will be made larger still and the possibility o an exchange between the collected air and the open air will be less. l'

1. "Method of detecting valuable deposits* in the earth by means of a relatively shallow earth bore which consists in collecting underground-air in the shallow bore, and q uantitatively examining the collected air with respect to the presence of gaseous substances directly related to said deposit, for the pur pose of determining proximity to the valuable deposits.

2. Method of detecting valuable deposits in the earth by means of a relatively shallow earth bore which consists in collecting a quantity of underground-air in the shallow bore, confining said quantity in a space closed said confined quantity, and examining said drawn oli part with respect to the precenee of vgaseous substances directly related to said deposit.

3. Apparatus for detecting valuable de osits in the earth comprising a relatively s allow vearth bore for collecting a quantity of underground-air, means including a closure plate of extent greater. than the size of the bore for confining said quantity out of cond tact with the outer air. and Ineens for drawing of? part of said connned quantity.

4. Apparatus for detecting valuable de-A n boring hole. two bell-sheped cylinders concentric to each other adapted to be inserted into the earth concentrically to the boring hole, closing means connected to said cylinders for closing a space surrounded by said a boring hole, two bell-shape cylinders concentric to each other adapted to be inserted into the earth coneentrically to the boring 1M hoie, a tightening plate secured to the upper rim of sind cylinders for closin a space surrounded o said cylinders, a pipo connected to said tig tening plate, one end of said' pipe ,s being open to said space, the other end of said pipe being open to the atmosphere, and a tap on said pipe for drawing o underground-*air confined in said space.

6. A method for locating valuable under- 10 ground deposits in the earth by coliecting a, quantity of underground air at different points in a systematic manner throughout a region and quantitatively analyzing portions of the underground air for the presence of g5' constituents that are characteristic of the presence of deposits in order to determine proximity to and extent of the valuable deosits. p 7. Apparatus for detecting valuable de-k 20 posits in the earth, comprising an open ended gas collecting member adapted to be inserted in the ground around a shallow earth bore, a iid or closure for one end or' the open ended member, the said iid extending downwardly 25 to beyond the iimts of the bore, and means through which a sample of the collected gas may be removed.

8. In an apparatus for detecting valuable deposits in the earth, comprising a lplurality 3o of open ended cylinders adapted to e inserted into the ground surrounding a shaliow earth bore for the purpose of entraining a quantity o underground gas, a common closure late extending over one end of both 35 cyiin ers and hermetically sealing that end,

and means for withdrawing a portion ,of the entrained gas, the said means passing through the common closure plate.

In testimony whereof ax my sigmture.

a sfo-.ams naummrnn. i 1; 

